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If you’ve been on other cities’ subterranean metro systems, you’ll know that they aren’t all as deafening as the tube. Some London Underground lines are ear-piercingly loud. And while, sure, there’s a certain charm to the tube’s harsh industrial screeching, quieter journeys would certainly be more pleasant (as well as better for our ears’ health).
But could the tube’s brutal racket soon be a thing of the past? It’s been revealed that TfL has spent a whopping £30 million on reducing noise on the London Underground over the past five years.
TfL’s money has mostly gone into rail grinding works intended to remove bumps on the tracks and make journeys smoother. Mayor Sadiq Khan told the Standard that TfL spends about £115million each year on track improvements, but that £29.6 million has been specifically spent on tube noise reduction.
The noisiness of the tube has been under particular scrutiny in recent years. In 2022 TfL revealed which lines received the most noise complaints and trialled new technology to quieten the network.
Last year, a letter to TfL from the London Assembly’s environment committee warned that long-term exposure to tube noise could cause Londoners serious harm. The letter named heart disease, tinnitus, sleep disturbance and impaired cognitive development in children as potential impacts.
So, here’s to hoping for less ear-shattering tube journeys! One day, maybe Londoners’ music and podcast listening won’t be constantly sound-tracked by constant harsh noise. We can only dream, eh?
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